5 Safety Tips to Follow When Working on a Roof

Working on a roof poses an inherent risk of injury. The average height of a typical residential roof is about 10 to 13 feet. As a result, falling from a roof can lead to serious injury. Research, in fact, shows that roofing ranks as one of the top 10 most dangerous jobs. The good news is that you can lower your risk of injury when working on a roof by following a few simple safety tips.

#1) Partner Up

Never work on a roof alone. Regardless of the specific type of work you are performing, you should partner up with at least one other person. Known as the "buddy system," it will lower your risk of injury. If something happens while you are stuck on the roof, the other person will be there to provide assistance. Partnering up is an easy way to lower your risk of injury when working on a roof.

#2)  Use a Fall Protection System

One of the most important tips to protect against injury when working on a roof is to use a fall protection system. As the name suggests, a fall protection system is a device or set of devices that's designed to keep you from falling. There are several types of fall protection systems from which you can choose, some of which include guardrails, netting and wearable fall-arrest vests.

#3) Check the Weather

Before climbing on top of a roof, check the weather. Conventional wisdom should lead you to believe that bad weather and roof work don't mix. If it's raining or windy, the roof will be more hazardous. Rain and wind can throw you off balance, in which case you may fall to the ground below. You can still work on a roof, but make sure the weather is sunny with little or no wind.

#4) Wear Eye Protection

Don't forget to wear eye protection when working on a roof. Why is eye protection necessary exactly? Well, roof work often involves the installation or removal of shingles. Shingles, of course, are brittle, meaning they break apart easily. You may attempt to install or remove a shingle, only for small pieces of it to float into your eyes. Eye protection will keep debris such as this out of your eyes, allowing for a safer working environment.

#5) Choose the Right Footwear

In addition to eye protection, you should choose the right footwear when working on a roof. Most roofing-related injuries involve falls. While a fall protection system will protect against many instances of fall injuries, it's not a foolproof safety solution. With the wrong footwear, you may slip and fall while working on a roof. Even if you don't fall to the ground below, same-level falls such as this can still cause injury. Wearing non-slip footwear with deep treading will protect you from falling.